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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24824119">Hazel</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/masongirl/pseuds/masongirl'>masongirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Request Game drabbles [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Band of Brothers (TV 2001)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Austria, Canon Compliant, Fluff, Forest Sex, Forests, Kissing, M/M, Sexual Content, Sexual Inexperience, Shyness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:40:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,659</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24824119</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/masongirl/pseuds/masongirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tab and Shifty get sidetracked while hunting together in Austria.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shifty Powers/Floyd Talbert</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Request Game drabbles [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hazel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Requested as part of a game I posted on Tumblr <a href="https://speirtongirl.tumblr.com/post/621121012587757568/request-game">here.</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>After Bastogne, Tab thought he'd never feel comfortable in a forest again, but on this pleasant summer day, the war is only the bitter aftertaste of a nightmare. The weather is mild here. The ground isn’t covered in snow, and the trees aren’t splintered or broken in half. Austria is beautiful. He and Shifty are supposed to hunt something for the boys, maybe a deer if they can find one, but so far, Tab has spent more time watching Shifty than looking for signs of game. </p><p>He can’t seem to turn his eyes away. As the bright sunshine breaks on the heavy green canopy of the oak trees around them, its light softens and falls on Shifty’s hair in golden spots. His brown locks are cut and parted neatly, and Tab can’t get the idea of combing through that warm wave out of his mind. He wants to mess it up, see if that will make Shifty look more human and less like an enchanted spirit who can summon a flock of birds by whistling through his hands.</p><p>“Do you want me to teach you?” Shifty turns to him with a smile, oblivious to Tab’s awe, and his hazel eyes sparkle. The little birds he tricked with his fake call fly away from the branches above them.</p><p>“Yes.” Tab grins. He loves the wilderness. He wishes he had someone to teach him about its secrets when he was a kid. Walking closer to Shifty, he adjusts the strap of the rifle on his shoulder. “What do I do?”</p><p>“First, you hold your hands together like this. No, no, bend your fingers.” Shifty says in his patient, lilting voice, then takes another step towards Tab. When they look down, their foreheads almost brush. His touch is gentle but firm as he adjusts Tab’s hands, and there are calluses on his fingertips, bumps that Tab knows like the lines of his own palms. He spent so many days tracing them in utter darkness just to find some comfort that they don’t surprise him anymore. “Now, go on, blow through that gap.”</p><p>Tab does, then splutters a laugh against his fists when he hears the weak, airy sound he produces. No whistle. Shifty chuckles along with him and raises a hand to rub a strip of Tab’s thumbs. “You should put your lips here, on your knuckles.” </p><p>Although it could ruin everything, Tab can’t resist the temptation - he ducks his head and presses a peck to Shifty’s index finger before he could pull away. Shifty gasps and yanks it back, blinking rapidly in confusion. “Not mine!”</p><p>Tab’s smile widens. He wasn’t sure of his affection’s welcome, since they are not in hell anymore, but it seems like he might still stand a chance. Slowly, so that Shifty can move away if he wants, he hooks his fingers under the suspenders he has been aching to grip since they walked past the treeline. “It’s harder than I thought."</p><p>"You just need to practise."</p><p>"You know, you’re one hell of a hunter, Shifty.”</p><p>Shuffling on his feet, Shifty casts his eyes down, then back up quickly. He brushes Tab's forearm with his right hand. “Everything I know I learnt from my dad. It’s nothing special.”</p><p>“Trust me, it is.” Tab whispers and tugs on the suspenders. </p><p>They kiss, and it feels electrifying. It's impossible to imagine anything that could excite Tab this much. He found a few Austrian girls he fancied, but no matter what they did together, it never felt as overwhelming as this single chaste kiss. Shifty's lips are moist and soft, not chapped as they were in Bastogne, but he still hums the same shy noise he always did when Tab licks them open. For the first time, Tab’s senses aren’t too numb to realise that Shifty’s skin heats up when their tongues touch, that he blushes even as his palms cup Tab’s face to keep him close.</p><p>They've never kissed standing up before. For a second, Tab can't even decide what to do with the sudden opportunity to press their bodies together from head to toe. Should he take the gamble? Tentatively, he envelopes Shifty's waist with his arms, ignoring the uncomfortable weight of the rifle, and drags him closer until their hips align. There's no resistance, just a minute movement forward and a sigh muffled in their kiss. <em> He wants it too, </em>Tab realises with a jolt of triumph. He pulls Shifty's shirt out of his trousers and rucks his undershirt up, just enough to touch his naked back for the first time. He spreads his fingers over the warm skin there, heart speeding in his chest.</p><p>Shifty breaks the kiss, spooked. "This is wrong."</p><p>"It can't be." Tab rushes to reassure him, even though it is, and it’s irresponsible, insane, even. But he's never felt closer to a person before and he wants more, wants to share this with Shifty. Neither of them has a sweetheart waiting back home. Why can’t they have one moment of unclouded happiness? "After the things we've seen, how could love be wrong…"</p><p>"Love?"</p><p>Tab traces the line of Shifty's spine. It's so different to the women he had before - there's no softness around it, nothing plump, just lean muscles on either side. He kisses the corner of Shifty's lips. "Isn't this some kind of love?"</p><p>Shifty searches his eyes for a few seconds, frowning like a kicked puppy, then nods. “But Tab…”</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>Shifty’s fingers trace the line of buttons on Tab's stomach, unsure of what to do. "I don't rightly know… I don't know how…"</p><p>“I will guide you, don’t worry.” Tab smiles in relief. </p><p>He knows he has a vast amount of experience compared to Shifty, who hasn’t gotten further than a few fumbling nights with the woman he broke up with when he enlisted. He thought it wouldn’t have been fair to make her wait. Although Tab has never had a roll in the hay with a man before, it's natural that he'll have to take the lead here. He slides his palms to Shifty's hips and backs him up against an old tree, thick enough to provide some cover if someone came looking for them. Better be careful. </p><p>They are both shaking when he reaches between them and opens their trousers, and Shifty can't seem to stop fidgeting. “My girl, when we used to… she always wanted the lights switched off.”</p><p>“Did she?" Tab bites his lip in thought. He didn't think twice about the daylight, but Shifty's cheeks are bright red and his hands are unsure on Tab's waist. He wouldn't be comfortable if Tab watched him from the start. "You know what? I will close my eyes and you can tell me when to open them again."</p><p>After he sees Shifty's grateful nod, Tab lets his eyes slip shut. Thankfully, he had enough practice to keep his hands deft without having to look, and within minutes, he has their skivvies pushed out of the way. He licks his palm, trying not to give in to the unfamiliar heat crawling up his neck. Jesus. That must have looked obscene, even for his standards, but he figures it was necessary. When he starts stroking Shifty the way he'd do it for himself, the exhales fanning his face stop. </p><p>"Don't forget to breathe." He murmurs and uses his free hand to guide Shifty's fingers to grip him. As he expected, they are too dry, but he doesn't mind. He just wants Shifty to gain some confidence and truly enjoy it. "It's okay."</p><p>A light breeze rustles the leaves around them and dries the sweat pebbling at Tab's hairline. Beyond the birdsong and the quiet, slick sounds of their movements, he can hear the buzz of the forest and how Shifty's breaths catch in his throat when he twists his fist right. There's a tree in blossom nearby, and its sweet scent mixed with Shifty's is just as addicting as the pleasure they're chasing together. Tab rubs his nose to Shifty's and smiles when he gets a small kiss for it, then a braver one that seems to linger for minutes.</p><p>"You're doing so well, Shifty." He whispers, pressing their foreheads together, and tightens his grip each time he pulls up. Shifty's left hand squeezes his shoulder. </p><p>"If you want," Shifty pants, starting to move his hips now, "you can open your eyes."</p><p>Tab's eyes snap open immediately. Like a gentleman, he keeps them on Shifty's face first, watching the play of light in his gaze. He touches the pink flush on Shifty's cheek with his left thumb, and Shifty's eyelashes flutter in uncertainty before his lips curve into a smile. Tab returns it, then looks down.</p><p>"Ah, yes." He moans. He struggles to hold back a curse, knows that Shifty probably wouldn't like him getting crass, even if the sight of their hands working in tandem turns him on beyond belief. He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth. "I'm close."</p><p>Happiness washes over Shifty's face. "Me too." </p><p>They peak within seconds of each other, because as soon as Shifty's eyebrows draw together and his mouth drops open, Tab is hit by a lash of desire that all but knocks him off his feet. Making Shifty happy feels so rewarding that he could bask in it all day. His uniform is a mess, but he can't spare a single thought for it. He's too busy searching for his heart, which got so suddenly stolen by Shifty's dazzling smile and the beautiful golden brown light around him.</p><p><em> He belongs here, in the forest, </em>Tab thinks and, finally, lets his hand reach out and comb through Shifty's straight hair. With anyone else, he'd say something flirty now, but the words don't come and they don't really need them either. Shifty throws his arms around him in a hug and laughs, carefree. Tab wishes he could keep him like this forever.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ~End~ </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Feedback is appreciated. 🙂</p></blockquote></div></div>
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